Kerala state government has tied up with German luxury automobile major Mercedes Benz to launch a training centre for mechatronics and robotics. The Advanced Mechatronics Training Centre, which is expected to take off by June 2013, will operate from the Government Engineering College at Barton Hills in Thiruvananthpuram.

The centre will have the best technology from Germany and will be equipped with ultra-modern manufacturing and process control equipment to train students from automotive, mechanical, electrical and electronics stream starting with a one-year advanced diploma course in mechatronics and robotics. There are plans to introduce post-graduate courses later. Collaboration with foreign universities in the UK, US and Canada is also under consideration for course exchanges.

The innovative course combines mechanical, electronic, electrical and computerised control of vehicles, and provide adequate industry-institution interaction. Technopark and Isro units like VSSC and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in the city will assist industry-interaction exchange activities, an official said.